Contact stores are databases that, in conjunction with contact manager applications built on these databases, typically play an important role in a number of applications which require the retention of personal information, such as a name, e-mail address, telephone numbers, and the like. Multiple representations (duplicate records, partially conflicting records and the like) of the same person may often arise in a contact store. Contact stores might reside on multiple devices such as a single user computer system, portable consumer electronics, servers and the like. Contact stores provide a way to keep track of information associated with a person. Alternatively, a contact store may be part of a networked file server (or terminal server)computer system that multiple users or multiple types of computer devices can access. Users may have access to multiple contact stores. Multiple representations may arise from duplicate records or differing records originating on different devices coupled to a common file server.
Prior art conflict management software typically resolves duplicate contacts or contacts that are similar but contain differing information by deleting information. This type of software typically allows information that was entered last to prevail. A problem with the prior art software is that valid information that may be of value tends to be lost or erased.
For example if a person has two data records, with two different telephone numbers, one telephone number will typically be lost after performing the conflict resolution process, typically referred to as synchronizing or merging. In such a process a conflict is typically flagged to a user, and the user chooses which contact record, or portion of a contact record is retained. Frequently a computer user will realize that they have removed the wrong contact after the desired information has been lost.
The problems associated with synchronizing, or merging, multiple contacts are typically made worse when remotely created records, typically created by different electronic devices are merged back to a centralized contact store. For example a contact may be stored on a cellular telephone, and a PDA (personal digital assistant). A user might change the contact's information in one device but not the other. When merging is attempted some information that the user would like to keep may be lost. Also, synchronization methods for each device to the centralized contact store is typically a different procedure for each device having its own remotely stored the contacts.